Pride and Passion: Like Fire and Ice
by Una Morgan
Summary: Yet another V/B Romance story. This one takes place a couple years after the defeat of Buu. It's just a simple conversation between Bulma and Vegeta, and Vegeta revealing some tings to his mate that he never has before. A complete short story!


Pride and Passion: Like Fire and Ice  
by Una  
rated PG-13 for adult language and content  
  
Introduction  
If you have never read any of my other fanfics, you will not be   
completely lost. This basically takes place a short time after Neutrino War. It is a   
short story and, as you have probably guess by the title, it stars Vegeta and Bulma.   
  
Okay, listen. Those of you who don't like Vegeta, tough nuggies! I think   
he's the coolest character on DBZ! He beats Goku by a landslide! No contest!   
If you are infatuated with him, well, I don't go to some of the extremes you girls   
do. He may be hot and everything (oh hell, he's damn sexy!), but sex in any of my stories is out of the   
question. Teasers and jokes about it are great, but no, repeat NO sex! It's just not   
cool with me (they're cartoons for 3#$@% sake!). In this one, however, they   
come very, very close! This is probably the closest call I'll write! A lime.  
  
Vegeta's character and past absolutely fascinate me. There is something   
about the mystery and darkness of his mind that intrigues me. If he were real, I   
would become a psychoanalyst just to study him! Trust me, I will write a lot about   
this type of subject in the future.  
  
Story:  
"Goodnight, Trunks-chan," Bulma Briefs whispered, kissing her sleeping   
son on the forehead. "I'm glad you're home and safe." She pulled his sheets up to   
his chin. Trunks, though consciously unaware, accepted them and turned on his   
side with a sigh.  
  
Bulma's eyes filled with tears. He's so beautiful; the most precious thing   
in her life was her son. She may have been the richest woman in the world, but   
family is what has made her life special. She stood up and smoothed out the   
covers unnecessarily. To think that he had to put his life on the line constantly was   
unbearable. He was just a boy, not even ten yet! It was unfair to have to watch   
him get beaten up by monsters, aliens, and what-have-you, simply because he was   
so strong.  
  
Well, that wasn't the only reason. The other was standing in the hallway,   
waiting for her. Bulma turned off the light and quietly closed the door. It shut   
with a soft click. "About time," came the grunt from behind her.  
  
Bulma turned around and put her finger to her lips. "Be quiet, Vegeta,"   
she whispered to the boy's father. Vegeta was not officially her husband, but he   
still lived with her and their child. Vegeta was the prince of an alien race called   
Sayins, and was obsessed with fighting and becoming stronger. This was why,   
naturally, Trunks would be trained to fight as well. Though only half Sayin,   
Trunks was expected to be as strong or even stronger then his father when he grew   
up.  
  
Vegeta led the way into the large living room, out of earshot of Trunks'   
bedroom. The pale yellow walls and white furniture were lit by only a dim light   
from the chandelier. Vegeta turned on his heel and sat down on the cushioned   
chair with one movement. "You have something to s . . ." he started, but Bulma   
interrupted. "I've had it, Vegeta. I don't want Trunks to go with you on any more   
missions."  
  
Vegeta clenched his teeth, trying to control his temper. "And exactly on   
what authority are you ordering this?"  
  
Though a cold chill ran down her spin, Bulma did not back down. She   
fought with Vegeta almost daily, and it was becoming more of a game then a real   
fight. "What authority," she exploded. "I'm his mother!"  
  
"And I'm his father!"  
  
"You're not being a good father by putting him in danger!"  
  
"He's a Sayin; danger will find him anyway!"  
  
He had a point. Trunks did get into trouble often at school. But that was   
beside the point. "He is only nine years old, for Kami's sake! A boy like that -"  
  
Vegeta smirked and interrupted his mate. "Ha! At his age I had traveled   
nearly half the galaxy and caused trouble on every planet I landed on! The brat's   
troubles peddling around are nothing serious. It is only part of becoming a   
warrior, such is his blood right!"  
  
"When you were his age, you destroyed planets and people for fun! I refuse to have Trunks end up like that!!"  
  
"Are you also implying that he should stop fighting and training!?"  
  
"Well, if that's what it takes . . ."  
  
'That was stupid,' Bulma thought too late. Vegeta's mouth hung open in   
an intended protest and his face changed colors from white to red to purple. He   
clenched his teeth and growled, fighting the instinctive urge to blast her to   
kingdom come. "Denying a Sayin of royal blood," he whispered, his tone icy and   
dangerously soft, "is as impossible and barbaric as suffocating him."  
  
"Don't be ridiculous. Are you forgetting that he's also part human?"   
Bulma was feeling bolder now, she had obviously hit him hard. Though what she   
had said to make him so angry, she didn't know.  
  
"We might as well keep him away from Kakkarot and his brats, shouldn't   
we," he screamed, standing up suddenly. "Or better yet," he said softer but with   
equal force, "I should leave and stop 'putting him in danger'."  
  
Both turned their heads away from each other. Bulma's eyes burned with   
a mixture of anger and sorrow. She had fought with Vegeta several time about the   
same subject, but this was the first time they had gone this far. Did he mean it?   
Was he really staying just for Trunks? Hot tears streamed down her face, burning   
her cheeks to a bright pink. A terribly hurt was burning in her heart. She bent her   
face down so her long, blue hair would cover them. 'Just because I am crying   
doesn't mean I'll give him the satisfaction of seeing it!' Her voice was steady, "If   
that is what you must do, then do it. You aren't tied down here. You aren't my   
husband." She waited for an answer. When none came immediately, she slumped   
to the floor, still not turning towards him.   
  
"You can send me away with a word. I won't argue." His cold tone   
hadn't changed either.  
  
She clenched her teeth tightly. Those words had almost pierced through   
her hear like a dagger. If he was willing to go, it must mean that he didn't love   
her. But she loved him. She wouldn't admit it to anyone else, but she did. And   
she had believed he had felt the same way. But she refused to show her hurt; her   
pride wouldn't let her. 'I will not! I will not!'  
  
"It is not my choice to make. Neither of us are slaves! Go on if you   
must! I don't even know why I keep you here . . . in . . . the . . ." She felt his hand   
brush up against the back of her neck as he ran his fingers past her hair. "You've   
been crying," he said in a whisper.  
  
Bulma hesitated. She wanted desperately to turn, bury her face in his   
armored chest, and cry. But she wouldn't. 'No, it would be surrendering to him!'   
"You are a threat to me and my family," she said.  
  
"I know," was the cool reply. With that reply came a breath on her neck   
that was equally chilling. 'But oh, it feels so good,' she thought.  
  
Her blood began to boil; the tears disappeared from her cheeks. "You are   
also a terrible influence on Trunks."  
  
"I know," he said again, his lips so close to her ear.  
  
"Then why," she whispered back, closing her eyes as steam seemed to   
escape her mouth instead of words. "Tell me, Prince of the Sayins, why do you   
stay here with a human woman and her earthling child?"  
  
His hand, so cold and firm, landed on her knee. "Because," he   
whispered, "I must seek my revenge on you humans." His hand very slowly began   
to travel up her thigh.  
  
"For what," Bulma steamed, her hand landing on his hand. "What have we done to you?" Vegeta's hand ended on Bulma's mid-section, pulling her closer   
toward him on the floor. Her hand continued up until it reached his face. She placed it on his cheek, which was closer to hers then she had noticed. 'Give in,' her heart was screaming. 'Give in! Surrender!'  
  
"You humans have given something to me that I will never forgive," he   
breathed. He pulled her closer. Now Bulma could hear his own heart, beating   
warmly inside his armor. "Before I came, my soul was frozen solid. I had never   
even noticed I had a heart. But you, you goddamn temptress from Hell itself; you   
and your people have melted all of that away. I can not escape my heart, nor can I   
cool it. Only you can release me from it, for it has kept me bonded to you and that   
brat of ours."  
  
Bulma placed her other hand on the one Vegeta had on her stomach.   
Even through his white glove, she could feel the coolness of his grasp. 'He really   
means it! He just doesn't know what to call it!' "I love you, Vegeta," she   
whispered. "And I refuse to let you go. Looks like we . . . you . . . will have to   
stay."  
  
His freezing lips brushed up against her cheek as he spoke, his breath   
now almost too much to bare. The hot passion burning inside of Bulma's heart   
found it arousing. "I was afraid you'd say that," he said.  
  
"I thought," she whispered back, her sweaty palm pressing harder against   
his hand on her stomach, "that Sayins are afraid of nothing."  
  
They stayed this way, melded together for several heartbeats, each   
pounding in unison with the other. They stayed like this until, almost abruptly,   
Vegeta used his free hand to put it on top of Bulma's and remove it. He let go of   
her and stood up. Bulma was left on the cold ground panting and looking up,   
wondering 'Why!?! What went wrong!?!'  
  
She turned to see where he had gone to. His back toward her, he seemed   
to be getting something from the cabinet. Bulma, curious, wanted to see what it   
was, but it, like Vegeta, was covered by shadow. "So now you ignore me," she   
asked angrily. "Some revenge, playing with my affections like that. I wonder   
what your mother was like."  
  
"My mother," Vegeta said with almost no feeling, "died not long after I was born."  
  
"Oh." Bulma put her hand to her mouth. She had never really talked to   
Vegeta about his past. 'Maybe, if I asked, he would talk now.' "How old were   
you when your planet was destroyed?"  
  
There was a cold silence before Vegeta answered. "In Earth years, I was   
about five."  
  
"Were you and your father close?"  
  
"Close enough," he responded quickly. "He was a very proud and   
prestigious man. Normally concerned about matters of the state. I never saw him   
too much. He was usually off on missions for Freiza." He found what he was   
looking for and hid it in his hand.  
  
"Did he like to murder, too?"  
  
The prince spun around, obviously offended. "For the record, Onna," he spat icily, "Sayins find pleasure in fighting! Not generally killing, but fighting!"  
  
"Could have fooled me!" 'I'm pushing his buttons again, and I'm   
enjoying it!' "Have you forgotten how ruthless you were when you first came here?"  
  
"A Sayin's memory is perfect from the day he is born!! The only reason I   
did so was because it was convenient at the time! Such as staying here is presently   
convenient. I'd personally rather take your and the boy into space with me   
somewhere."  
  
Bulma briefly fantasized about she, her mate, and her son on some distant   
planet surrounded by riches and adventures. 'Ooooo, that'd be wonderful!' "So,   
you didn't exactly enjoy killing?"  
  
Vegeta, who was turning red with anger from all the questions, stated "If   
I didn't obey Freiza, he could have killed me with a flick of the tail! Keep in   
mind, Onna no baka, that I was only a child!"  
  
Bulma smiled sympathetically. She walked over to Vegeta and took his   
free hand in both of hers. "I think its awful that you never really knew your   
mother or father. You deserve to have had the throne of the Saiya-jin."  
  
Vegeta just stared at her. The warmth of her touch seemed to melt his   
heart into emotion again. "Bulma . . ."  
  
The addressed held his hand closer to her. "Tell me, what do you   
remember of her? Your mother? You did say that you have a perfect memory."  
  
The fallen prince took a while to answer. He closed his eyes, as if   
searching for the woman his mate had asked for. "She . . ." he started,   
concentrating hard, "She was very beautiful. I can remember her clearly." He   
chuckled and opened his eyes half way. "She used to call me Veggie-chan! Isn't   
that stupid?"  
  
Bulma chuckled too, but happily. 'I can't believe it! He's acting so . . . human!' "No, I think that's adorable! What else do you remember?"  
  
Vegeta closed his eyes completely again. A dreamy look came over him.   
"Her voice. Oh, Onna! Her sweet, sweet voice! When she sung, it was like an   
angel! An angel, come to protect me, and send all bad spirits away!"  
  
Bulma's eyes filled with warm, happy tears. "How wonderful! Was she strong?"  
  
"Yes, very strong. So powerful! I saw her fight right before . . ." He   
trailed off, as if he was remembering something unpleasant.  
  
"How did she die, Vegeta-sa?"  
  
Instead of answering, he tore his hand away from hers and took several   
steps back. "I'm getting annoyed with all of your questions, Onna. Why do you   
ask so much?"  
  
Bulma blushed. "Just wondering how far Sayin love went before we   
humans 'melted your hearts'."  
  
Vegeta didn't smile. He seemed to be considering his next move. Then,   
he smirked and replied, "You shouldn't try to enter a world unless you know what   
you are in for. My mother was one of several women my father mated with. If I   
had had any siblings, he probably killed them all to prevent civil war. As far as   
she is concerned, he probably never even loved her. Only physically."  
  
Bulma let go of his hand. "How awful! That's barbaric!"  
  
"That, woman, was the extent of Sayin emotions."  
  
"But Goku would . . ."  
  
"Kakkarot," Vegeta snarled, as though he would have preferred not to be   
compared, "is a freak of Sayin nature as far as I'm concerned!"  
  
Bulma stood and touched his cheek. "No wonder you're so distant.   
You've never really known love. I think I've finally found something that scares   
you!"  
  
Their eyes locked, and she stared deeply into those penetrating, sable   
eyes of his. 'At first glance, they are ice cold and fierce. But, when I look into   
them, they aren't so cold at all.' She could sense something in them, in his soul,   
that counter-acted his actions and words.  
  
The lock was broken by Vegeta, who looked down to hold up what he   
had gotten. "This is for you," he said. It was a gold chain necklace with an   
elegantly designed pendant. A yellow-gold, diamond patterned sun was on the   
foreground of a blood red circle.   
  
She looked at him. He had never given her something before. "It's   
lovely," she said.  
  
"I finished it this morning," he replied putting it on her. "The symbol is   
the Sayin royal crest; it is only worn by those of that heritage."  
  
"But, why give it to me?"  
  
Vegeta held her hands. "As I am bound to this place, so I want you   
bound to me. I may not have a proper family or kingdom but, in my eyes at least,   
you are my princess. And I forbid you to lose sight of that. I . . ." He paused. He   
was trying to force the words from his lips. "I . . . love . . . you . . . Bulma."  
  
Bulma's eyes filled with tears. She threw her arms around him and he   
embraced back.   
  
Trunks smile from his hiding place. Being a martial artist, he could sneak   
around without making a sound, lucky for him. He couldn't wait to tell his friends   
what had taken place.   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
[Main Theme - Eternal Flame by The Bangles]  
  
Close your eyes, give me your hand, darling  
Can you feel my heart beating, do you understand?  
Do you feel the same, am I only dreaming?  
Is this burning an eternal flame?  
  
I believe its meant to be, darling  
I watch you when you are sleeping, you belong to me  
Do you feel the same, am I only dreaming?  
Is this burning an eternal flame?  
  
Say my name, sun shine, through the rain  
A whole life so lonely, and then you come and erase the pain  
I don't want to lose this feeling  
  
Close your eyes, give me your hand, darling  
Can you feel my heart beating, do you understand?  
Do you feel the same, am I only dreaming?  
Is this burning an eternal flame? 


End file.
